Fatherhood
by Erutan Xiku
Summary: Broly is brought back to life...and the first thing that catches his eye is a cliche baby in the basket...Rated PG13 for insurance purposes on future chapters...Chapter: 6
1. The Last Thing I Remember

Fatherhood

**Blurb**: A Saiyan has been brought back to life…the first thing that catches his eye is a cliché baby in the basket…

**NB**: There may be some OOC-ness, mainly for the sake of humour…

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Disclaimer: I do not own DragonBallZ, nor did I have anything to do with its creation, and all content referring to DragonBallZ belongs to Akira Toriyama and all known Copyright holders. Also any characters that do not appear in the original DragonBallZ have nothing to do with the anime, and strictly appear for the purpose of this story.

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Chapter: 1

The Last Thing I Remember

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! No matter how much power you absorb from those idiots, it won't be enough to kill me!" he barked, drawing a fist back in a ferocious manner and promptly powering up yet again. It was amazing just how much power he held and could call forth…was it true that he held limitless power within him, ready to call forth at his will…they would have to see.

"Heh, we'll see about that…" the smaller Super Saiyan retorted, "you'll never really know for sure, until I try," his golden aura blazing about him, pulsing in a rhythmic fashion, having grown a little with whatever source he had found at this dire moment. It was weird, the larger being thought, the puny creature had been on his last threads, and was now back, in what appeared to be, full-force.

Meanwhile, the nearing comet was drawing ever closer on its head on collision with the planet the two were duelling on. The life-bearing rock, scarred with its destroyed civilisation and barren lands, continued on its unsuspecting orbit, its outer layer the first to make contact with the cruel surface of the comet. On the surface level of this doomed planet, the very ground itself began to crumble, chunks ripping away as they were chipped off by the collision-induced earthquake, which rippled its way through. All the while as the large rocks and debris continued to fly about and erupt from the ground itself, the Saiyans faced off against each other, their golden auras continuing to pulse about them, then the biggest of the two charged forth, the rising pieces of earth giving him a little more of a lift.

The smaller one looked on, waiting for an appropriate moment to meet this challenge, as he allowed himself to be raised into the air ever so slightly, by the same forces the collision had created. Both drew closer to each other, letting out growls of determination; the larger Saiyan drew back a fist, preparing to launch punch into the shorter being, then drew back the other one, seemingly to decide on a double attack. The shorter man drew back their own fist, preparing an attack of their own.

"Now the real fight begins," he snarled, drawing closer so that he was within range of both of their attacks. Taking advantage of the bigger mans wide opening, he drove his fist into their gut, and twisted the blow upon impact, letting out a prolonged bestial growl in his determination to end this.

The larger Saiyan froze, his eyes widening in surprise as his mind sent him back many years ago, back into the incubator he had been placed in at the time of his birth. He remembered the sounds of a fellow newborn crying in the one directly next to his, crying non-stop, which had in turn caused him to cry…many possibilities clouding the reasons…not even he was sure of it now…

"I am not gonna let…you get away with this!" the shorter one cried, the words strained with the force of the blow he was landing, powered by the energy he had mustered up to this point. His small fist broke through the others flesh, continuing on in an arc, the force sending the larger of the two back, their flesh beginning to rip apart as the energy within finally had an outlet causing them to implode.

…

…

…

At least that's how he remembered it had ended…since he didn't exactly remember much after that…other than getting judged and sent to some kind of place of eternal damnation…but he wasn't even sure if that was what had really happened, since he couldn't exactly sense himself…as in his body, nor that tremendous power he had brewing within him…the power of the Legendary Super Saiyan, born every one thousand years, according to Saiyan lore and history.

The man looked about himself, the strands of his mid-length black hair running along his bare back…something wasn't right…if he was dead, which he was sure he had been since he remembered nothing after that last attack…then where was he now, since he was sure he had ended up in some kind of Hell…which seemed more like a resort, but he couldn't care less, there were more important things to think about right now. A light wind blew, brushing the strands of hair that fell over his forehead into his eyes. The man raised a hand to push the strands back, but paused as it came into contact with his brow…he frowned, something was amiss. He brought up his other hand and proceeded to investigate, trying to see if he had missed something, then something else struck him, _'I have…my mind's not clouded anymore…?'_ the wondering thought popped in. His eyes widened in revelation, of course, the power-suppressing headband had been blown off during his ascension, no wonder it wasn't there anymore…strange…it really hadn't registered that the item had been destroyed, oh well, at least he wasn't a mindless puppet anymore.

Hmm…now to think about where he was…_'Wherever _here_ was exactly…'_ his mind continued, while he began to ponder his whereabouts, a hand cupping his chin in thought. A sudden sniffle, or rather restless sound, caught his attention and his eyes snapped downwards, his brow furrowing in curiosity as he took in the thing that had interrupted his train of thought in such a manner. The frowned deepened, as he crouched down, the hand still cupping his chin, while the other had taken up position on his waist.

Before him was a basket, made of woven twine and rectangular in shape. It was pretty bland, and had a standard handle, made of the same substance, which connected both sides across the foot-large width. The basket was lined with a few layers of blankets, draped atop an evidently comfortable pillow. What had caught the Saiyans attention, however, was the little creature that was bundled up inside it, snugly wrapped up in a soft blue, knitted wool blanket. He raised an eyebrow at the sleeping form, as he leaned in to take a closer look – it was a little difficult to make out what it was wearing, but from what he could see, it appeared to be wearing a white shirt on its upper body, and a yellow hat encasing its head, wisps of black hair poking their way out from under the brim. Its head was turned to the side, deep in its slumber, a small, lightly curled fist resting against its miniscule mouth.

The man considered this scene for a moment, seeming to lose himself in the peacefulness the thing was absorbed in, when something caught his eye…a rather mysterious-looking piece of paper that was pinned, in an inconspicuous manner, to the blanket the sleeping creature was wrapped in. Quirking the eyebrow yet again, he reached out and removed the note as gently as he could, for he did not wish to face the wrath of the bearer…_'If it is something_ worth_ fearing…'_ he thought, then paused, eyes darting quickly, as the creature stirred yet again, _'but it's best not to find out,'_ He opened the folded piece of paper and allowed his eyes to quickly scan it…he frowned and passed his eyes over the words again, this time reading them…the frown deepened and he passed his eyes over the words yet again, reading each one separately, taking into account their meaning…then moments passed.


	2. Dealing with Revelations

Fatherhood

Chapter: 2

Dealing with Revelations

His eyes widened in whatever emotion he was experiencing right now; for as the words registered in his mind, it seemed to have shutdown all of a sudden – and with no warning whatsoever, making it impossible for him to recognise the emotion he was feeling. He stared unblinkingly at the paper suspended by his hands, still crouched before the basket. His body seemed to be waiting for something to happen…then it did, after many more passing moments.

The conscious part of his brain seemed to have rebooted, pulling itself out of its frozen state. The male Saiyan swallowed and blinked, forcing his eyes to re-enact the last thing he could remember doing…reading the note.

_Hi,_

_I'm going out on a long-shot here and am just gonna go with the understanding that the wish worked, bringing you back from the Afterlife, meaning that if you're reading this you must be that guy I met many months back, boy was that a great night…changed my whole idea on how great – well now, I don't wanna go off topic, so let's keep this short. See the kid in the basket, yep, she's yours, congratulations you're a father! Beers on the house! Just show Bill this note and he'll round you up until you've had enough!_

_Okay celebrations aside, since she's your kid, my gift to you…or souvenir, depending on how you wanna look at it, she's your responsibility – I've still got plenty of flirting and partying years ahead of me – I'm not ready to quit just because a little girl was born from a one-night stand._

_So that's it, happy fathering!_

_P.S. Her name's Bubbles Fruity-Ann McKann_

_'B-B-Bubbles…F-F-Frui…ty-Ann McKann!'_ his mind seemed to continue tripping over the one name, and did so for a while before he managed to pry his eyes away and focus them on the sleeping _'_Child_! This _thing_ is my _child_! B-b-but…_how_?'_ Somewhere, another part of his mind sighed in exasperation at the thought that had passed, and so proceeded to pull out the necessary files on how children were made, promptly proceeding to explain the process in a relatively short, simple and concise manner. Before it could even utter a few words, it was rudely interrupted _'I know how children are made! I just don't remember ever being with anyone…in _that_ manner…'_ the main part of his mind elaborated, his eyes still fixed upon the sleeping child, _'unless…'_

His eyes widened again, as another part of his mind delved deeper into his memory. The trouble about being an evil, dead person…or rather Saiyan, was that since you lost your body in the Afterlife, it was kinda hard to keep track of all your activities…and that meant _all_…considering you were a floating puff that couldn't tell the difference between your reflection and another puffs ass.

_'Wait…I was _wished_ back…'_ came the recollection of what was written on the note. The man looked up, a thoughtful expression on his face, _'Just how many times _have _I been wished back…'_ he mused, _'…well…the only time I may have been wished back, was when those moronic spawns of morons wanted a challenge…but I don't really remember much of that…must have ended in me dying…again…'_ his expression became one of annoyance, as the last thought cautiously rolled through, fearful of being struck down by the Saiyans mental wrath.

Remembering that there was an infant around, which could be his, the man drew in a steadying breath then gagged, he had suddenly come to a realisation.

"No…it couldn't be…" he said out loud, his eyes moving back to place themselves upon the child, "it…has to be…it's the only _logical_ explanation…" _'Well…as logical as you can get, anyway,'_ his mind continued, not wanting to be left out of the discussion.

As he continued to gaze upon the still sleeping form, which he noted to himself was very much like a Saiyan, the events of a night many months ago began to play through his mind. He had been furious at having been wished inadvertently to life, which under any other circumstances he would have been pleased about, but since it had been the misspoken wish of the idiot and his equally idiotic ass-kissing chums, he couldn't help but feel anything else. As he felt the power raging within him, preparing to burst forth, it had disappeared, suppressing itself just as quickly, for he had caught a glimpse of the most alluring creature he had ever seen, worthy of earning his curiosity. _'Wow…so that's how far things _actually_ went, hehe…'_ he thought, unaware that a grin was creeping onto his features, making him look like a loon.

He was brought out of his sweet reverie, when the sudden sounds of the baby stirring caught his ears, causing him to shake his head clear of the thoughts and crane his neck over to get a better look. He blinked several times in astonishment, as a pair of large amethyst eyes looked back at him, portraying a mixture of wonder and bewilderment; her hands balled up into fists and pressed against her mouth, to further enhance her expression. Curiously and without his knowing it, he reached out a hand, brushing his fingertips across her forehead in an experimental manner. He held his breath as she seemed to make a small sound, closing her eyes upon the brief contact, and waited, letting out a sigh of relief when she did not proceed to cry.

Feeling a little bolder, the Saiyan shuffled closer to the basket, setting himself onto his knees, as he reached in with both hands, sliding one under her back, while caressing her small face with the other; all the while holding his breath. His heart seemed to flutter as she reached out a hand to meet his, thumping her small fist lightly against his open palm.

"Bubbles huh," he commented, not knowing why he was still having anything to do with the small life-form, when it evidently had little potential at being a powerful warrior, what with the puny power level she had. He continued to watch her bat at his hand, waggling his index finger within her line of sight, "Definitely not a name I'd give a child of mine…" he said, shuddering at the thought of what it would be like calling her by that name, "so I'm going to give you a new one," he paused, trying to think of one on the spot, only to find that his brain was too weary to even bother, "as soon as I can think of one, but for now…I'll call you 'Baby'," he said, still baffled as to why he was wasting his time with this tiny creature, who by now was cradled against his bare chest, her tiny head resting above his heart.

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**A/N**: I'd like to thank **Me!** and **mkh2** for reviewing, hehe, hope this chapter answered your question, and yup it's Broly (don't see why I should beat around the bush about it, by saying 'wait and see', hehe)


	3. Tough Choices

Fatherhood

Chapter: 3

Tough Choices

The man-made wind whipped through his hair, washing over his slim, but muscled body, as he flew at a gentle pace. He carried the basket in both hands, his arms supporting it at the base and tilting the contents slightly towards his chest, in order to shield it from the force.

He had been sitting at the clearing for some time, marvelling at the little creature in his arms, whose amethyst eyes twinkled with curiosity towards him. He couldn't remember thinking about anything as he simply looked at the child, but he recalled the feelings he had felt…feelings which he was sure he had never experienced in his life. He brought up a hand and brushed her capped head, circling it around to cup her face, as he continued to gaze at her in a content manner. Suddenly her small mouth opened, a tired yawn escaping her, causing him to blink in surprise. She blinked a few times up at him, then snuggled her head against his bare chest, trusting her safety with him as she slept.

The male Saiyan had continued to gaze down at the baby, unaware that a thought was slowly creeping up on him. He lifted his head up, gazing at the clouds that lazily scudded along…and that was the moment the thought chose to pounce on him. _'How am I going to possibly care for a child…'_ his eyes narrowed upon the realisation, _'…just how am I…'_ he thought, slowly brining his face down to look upon her sleeping face. His brow drew together as he thought this over, unconsciously drawing her closer to him, _'I have no resources with which to care for her…I just got wished back, and I have nothing to start myself off with…nothing to support her with…nothing…'_ He could feel his heart begin to weigh heavier, as he pulled her small form away from him so that he could look at her, take in every detail of the child he had just met.

He drew in a breath, setting his face into an expressionless mask – one that he hated, for it reminded him of the years he had been kept under control. _'Looks like I'll have to give you away, little one,'_ he thought, placing the child in the basket and making sure she was comfortably tucked in, _'but trust me…it's for the best,'_ he lowered his face to the small head, hesitating a moment, then planted his lips gently against her soft forehead.

Thus was the reason behind his current position upon Earth's airspace – he was going to give his child away, the child he had just come to meet and learn the existence of some time ago. His eyes came into focus, as he decided to determine his location. He was nearing a large city, which by the looks of things, appeared to be quite prosperous. Tall skyscrapers, each varying in height, reached out from the earth upon which they were erected, as though in an attempt to connect to the heavens. Apart from their size, they also varied in architecture and colour. Skyways, for pedestrian use, connected some buildings together at the higher levels, while from his vantage point, traditional footpaths were visible and still in use. Hover cars moved in two directions, some zipping effortlessly from one point to another, others moving slowly as they trundled through traffic

Letting out a dejected sigh, the Saiyan began to make his descent, landing gently in the back garden of one of the many large buildings that dotted the city. He hardly paid attention to his surroundings, as he knelt where he had landed, placing the basket he held within his arms onto the ground before him.

-o-

From inside the building, a blue-haired woman had been relaxing on the couch in her patio, having earned herself a relaxing break after completing her latest project. Calm, soothing music wafted through the atmosphere, the selection coming from her mother's collection. She let out a soft moan of pleasure, as a certain note tweaked her brain teasingly; it was heaven, the music massaging her tense brain, which in turn relaxed her – if it were possible, she would have been a puddle by now.

Suddenly she became aware of the silence and quickly deduced the cause, which, to her dismay, meant that she would have to get up and change the CD. _'Dammit…I forgot to set the darn thing on Repeat-Shuffle…'_ she thought grumpily, fixing her eyes on the blinking CD-player some feet before her. The woman sat there for a moment, determining whether changing the CD was worth it or not, then allowed her eyes to roam the nearby vicinity in search of the players remote. A frown creased her brow, she could have sworn she had left the darn thing on the couch next to her…or was it on the coffee-table, _'Nope,'_…on the magazine rack beside her, _'Nu-uh,'_…the flower stand _'Getting war– hey! Who's that in my garden?!'_

The blue-haired woman stood up, her previous dilemma forgotten, as she stepped towards the glass pane, peering through to examine the intruder. The first thing she picked up on was the fact that they were male, _'A very well-built and handsome male at that,'_ she mused, taking in their physique and what little of their face she could see. He was dressed in white trousers, overlapped by red cloth that was held at his waist. Golden boots reached up to his shins, adorned with a large, oval-shaped emerald gem. Armbands of the same design decked his forearms, while his neck was decorated by a similar necklace. Smaller, golden bands hugged his upper arms and neck. Raven-black hair cascaded down in thick locks, brushing just below his shoulder-blades. For some reason, the woman was sure that she knew him from somewhere, but couldn't really place him.

The man was in profile and could be seen crouching over a basket, seeming to be looking at the contents with a kind of pained expression. She continued to watch as she saw him reach in with one hand, his lips moving as he said something, then lowered his face to plant, what she guessed was a kiss, onto whatever was inside it. A small frown touched her features, as she saw him come to his feet, all the while never breaking eye-contact with the basket. Without knowing it, she had stepped out of her patio, quietly sliding open the door and making her way towards him, hoping that he wouldn't turn around, or make a run for it, leaving the basket and its contents behind.

"Um…excuse m-" she was cut off as the man spun about, eyes wide in surprise, as he was startled by her words and the hand she had reached out to him. "Hey, watch out!" she exclaimed, realising that he was beginning to unconsciously step backwards, still in his shocked state of mind. At her words, the man turned his head about to see what she was referring to and his eyes widened in alarm, as he watched his foot slowly begin to descend upon the basket.

The next thing he was aware of was a pair of hands grasping him by the golden belt at his waist, the owner pulling with all their might. He let out a clumsy cry, as he began to tumble forwards, his coal eyes meeting sapphire blue, both pairs wide with surprise.


	4. Bulma

Fatherhood

Chapter: 4

Bulma

As a last minute reaction, the man threw out his hands, placing them into the lush, trimmed grass below them. He pushed himself up into a hand-stand position and turned about, removing one arm to wrap it about the blue-haired woman's waist, and came to a crouched landing, the woman held securely against him. He paused a moment, allowing his mind to collect itself after the sudden movement, and catching his breath after the shock he had received.

The woman too was catching her breath…the man had moved so fast that she could feel her magnificent brain spinning within the walls of her cranium. Once it had settled, her eyes roamed upwards, falling upon the breathtaking features of the man she had seen from her patio. Then she became aware of the fact of how close and securely he was holding her, all she had to do was move her head slightly and she would be listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart – an act she momentarily considered doing. Instead, she continued to study his features, noting that he had a golden loop through the lobe of his ear, and assumed that there was another on the other ear. His eyes were black as space itself, the same shade as his thick hair. Her breath caught in her throat, as he suddenly turned his attention on her.

A slight frown passed over the man's features, as he tried to figure out who this woman was and why he was holding her so close to him. He looked into her startled blue eyes, framed by short, equally blue hair. She appeared to be young, though well-hidden wrinkles told otherwise, making him assume that she was a decade or so older than she looked. A blush crept upon his features, as he realised that he had been looking at her for some time, and she too blushed under his scrutiny. Then it hit him; he released his hold on the woman, receiving a shocked exclamation in response, and dashed over to the basket.

The woman pushed herself up into a sitting position, muttering curses and a few choice words highlighting her displeasure on the increasing rudeness of society these days. As she placed her angry eyes upon the mans back, her expression became one of surprise mixed with curiosity, as she watched him reach into the basket and take something out, evidently holding it gently within his arms. With curiosity ruling her mind and judgement, the woman snuck closer to get a better look at what he was holding and murmuring comforting words to. Before her brain could even rationalise her reaction, she drew in a sharp gasp, her eyes widening in admiration, as she took in the bundle within the mans arms. Adorable, there was simply no other word to use when describing the little, dark-haired baby that was nestled securely, comfortably and protectively within those muscular arms, _'And those eyes! They're simply divine!'_ her mind squealed in excitement, upon sighting the pair of amethyst orbs that gazed up at the man.

At the sound of the gasp, the dark-haired man jumped, turning his head towards the source. In reaction to the sudden movement, the woman jumped back herself, startled by his sudden attention upon her. The man blinked several times, then recognition dawned upon him, _'Just how many times are you going to lose yourself like this?'_ his mind tutted and would have continued, had the woman not captured his attention once more.

"I'm sorry if I startled you…" she said, her tone gentle and polite. Her words had trailed off, hinting at the fact that she didn't know his name, thus wasn't able to apologise properly. The man smiled and shook his head, allowing himself to relax a little in her presence.

"Not at all…my name is Broly…and you are?" he replied, his tone equally pleasant.

"Bulma," the woman replied without hesitation, providing a smile of her own as the man nodded. She looked over the two, the father gazing lovingly at the little one, who was reaching out to the hand he had hovering above them, "Your child is very beautiful….can I ask what its name is?"

"Her name is…" he paused for a moment, wondering if he should be talking to this woman, then mentally shrugged, "Baby for now…at least until I can think of a decent name," the last part was added quickly, as she listened. Broly watched the woman scoot a little closer, watching the child with a mixture of admiration and fascination. He could read in her eyes that she wished to hold his child, and so he shifted a little, reasoning that he was going to leave her in the care of this woman and her family, "Would you like to hold her?" Bulma blinked in surprise at the offer, and then smiled as she nodded her answer. The dark-haired man smiled in amusement, as he passed the baby to her, watching as she cushioned the little life-form within her arms and took on a cross-legged sitting position. She played with the baby a bit, rewarded with giggles and amused sounds, and then began to gently rock the child, sensing that sleep was what she needed.

"Why were you going to leave her here?" she asked, gazing at the baby, whose eyes had begun to droop. She trailed a finger along the soft cheek of the child, and then looked up at Broly, expecting her answer. His brow was drawn slightly, and he chewed the corner of his lip, indicating how troubled he was by the answer. She was going to say something, but stopped when he drew in a breath.

"I don't…have the resources with which to care for her," he answered simply, then met her gaze, catching the question forming in her eyes, "the mother abandoned her in my care…but…I can't," he paused and drew in another breath. He averted his gaze a moment, then looked back, coming to the decision that a full account of his state was best...no matter how farfetched it sounded. "I was just wished back…since I've been floating around in Hell all this time," he paused to gauge her reaction so far, but catching no indicator of what she thought, he continued, "the last time I was wished back, was apparently nine months ago…I believe it was a misspoken wish, but now I'm back for good…and I have nothing with which to care for the child," he concluded, his tone becoming more sombre towards the end.

"I believe you," she said, the words seeming to hint that her mind was elsewhere when she has said it. Throughout the explanation, Bulma had listened intently and had come to understand his reasoning. He was a man with nothing and couldn't possibly care for his baby in the way that she deserved, thus he did what any other parent in a similar situation would do – find a suitable home that would. For some reason, she believed his choice of her back garden was completely random, since he seemed oblivious to just who she was and what status she held…_'That and he's just too darned cute to be anything but innocent,'_. However, since she had caught him in the act of abandoning his baby, and had witnessed just how fond he was of her, she couldn't possibly let him take off. Her eyes came into focus, and she caught the disbelieving look upon the young mans face, "I believe you," she repeated, then continued before he could say anything, "and I think I might have a solution to your predicament,"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**A/N**: Awww, thanks **Beany** soz about the wait for this chapter, but I wanted my triple update XD, hope this chapter was somewhat satisfactory


	5. Assault

Fatherhood

Chapter: 5

Assault

Today was a good day, in fact it was an _extremely_ good day; nothing had gone wrong, which was the reason why it was a good day. One problem: should he allow himself to enjoy this extremely good day?

Over the many years Vegeta, once Prince of all Saiyans, had spent alive, he had been raised to be ever vigilant and to never drop his guard; a principle he had never betrayed. He had always been a light sleeper, and even during his…more intimate sessions he had always been ready to do battle and punish any who dared disturb him. However, that would undoubtedly be a definite mood killer for his wife; who, being non-Saiyan, did not see how a good fight and random blood-spilling could ignite the fires of passion, which led onto incredible, mind-blowing copulation.

But no, Humans had to wrinkle their noses at the slightest mention of blood-filled confrontations, even though they caused most of it around the world. It was okay to beat the living tar out of people, and even go so far as to kill them, during matters of war. However, coming home after such a feat and wanting nothing more than to have senseless sex, _then_ it was considered tasteless and disturbing. _'Humans…they have to be all prissy and want their gentle foreplay just to get physically ready,'_ Vegeta thought, somewhat irritably,_ ' fighting produces the same results and it's enjoyable, not to mention it keeps you in shape,'_ Deciding that it couldn't hurt to at least bask for ten minutes under these conditions, he landed at a nearby flower shop, bought a bouquet and walked the rest of the way home.

He was suspicious to find that his path home was practically unimpeded – adding to how pleasant a day this was turning out to be, _'Hmm…why is it bothering me so much; after all, I think I've more than earned a bit of peace…'_ As the thought passed through, he had become aware of a vaguely familiar power level coming from the direction of his home, _'What the…'_ He stopped in his tracks to determine its identity and his face paled as realisation set in. Without a seconds hesitation he launched into the air, speeding as fast as he could to reach his home.

"Bulma?" he called, coming to a stop at the garden where the power level seemed to be originating from. A wave of relief washed through him as his wife looked up in surprise at her name called so desperately and then his attention snapped to the man beside her who had also looked up. Rage filled him and he launched himself at the taller man, a hate-filled cry escaping him. The two fell to the neatly trimmed grass, the Prince's hands gripping tightly about Broly's neck.

"M-My Lord…" he managed to choke out, his hands grasping the front of the smaller Saiyan's shirt. He had been completely unprepared for the attack, but didn't want to overpower his assailant in an effort to avoid escalating the fight.

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried out, as her husband drew back a fist that was building up a menacing glow, "Vegeta, stop!" As if in response to the desperate sound of her voice, or perhaps sensing the danger her father was in, the baby in her arms began to sniffle and cry – a sound that took Vegeta by surprise and forced him to pause in his assault, _'I didn't father a third one did I? I'm sure the Woman's passed her ability to conceive!'_ He turned to face the source of the wailing, watching for a moment as his wife tried to calm the infant.

"My Lord…please…" Broly managed to say, his words coming out in a choked whisper as Vegeta's grip, while firm had loosened slightly. Spurred by his voice, the Prince looked back down at the man he had pinned and rage once again began to fill him.

"Vegeta!" Bulma snapped, noticing the change in the other's demeanour as he prepared to resume his assault, "I said _'Stop!'_"

"What?" he growled, keeping his eyes on the man who had once dared to kill his son; his fist still glowing and ready to strike.

"He isn't a threat – why would you-"

"Don't talk like you know everything, Woman!" he snapped, "_This_ is the Legendary Super Saiyan – the one who nearly killed Trunks…!"

"What…no…" Bulma was thrown by this statement; this charming, sweet man was the cause of her son's condition those years ago? _'How could anyone…'_ Her eyes then drifted to the baby in her arms; the child looking up at her with tear-filled eyes, and she took a deep breath, "You have to let him go…" Her husband's expression became one of incredulity, and before he could speak she continued, "You're right, I don't know anything about what happened – we can talk about it later – but for now, you have to let him go…"

_'Just what on Earth is she thinking?'_ The thought screamed through his mind, _'Has she lost her mind…!'_ he couldn't understand the solemn expression she bore, then looked at Broly and was taken aback once again. The man seemed to be pleading, but for the complete opposite of what his wife wanted and then something struck him, _'Why hasn't he transformed…?'_ Broly had taken the assault, where in the past he would be initiating it, _'…Something's not right…'_ Relaxing his grip, Vegeta leapt away from his nemesis, "Explain," he growled, folding his arms as he kept himself ready should things go bad.

* * *

A/N: Hi! I apologise so very much for taking so long in updating. To be honest, I've been really lax with all of my works - so much stuff has happened. It all started with writer's block as I took on too many fics at the same time and then it just evolved. I have been feeling so guilty for leaving these stories, especially since I often get such lovely reviews. Know this though, that unless I officially say so, I will NEVER give up on my fanfics...it'll just take a while to get them complete and I don't blame you for moving on in the meantime. That said, would you believe that Chapters 5 and 6 were written this week alone? The first paragraph of Chapter 5 was written ages ago and it just sat there. So please, I humbly ask you to enjoy this Chapter and the next and I hope that I can continue writing this story to completion :)

-Eru


	6. Decisions

Fatherhood

Chapter: 6

Decisions

Broly pushed himself up, rubbing his neck as he cast his eyes downward, _'Why did she have to intervene…'_ he wondered; then again it was a natural reaction so Bulma could hardly be faulted. He shifted his position, kneeling before his Prince as he planted his fists into the ground and bowed his head, "My Lord…forgive me for intruding upon your home; I had no idea this was your property…" he uttered.

_'Definitely strange…'_ Vegeta thought, masking his surprise at the formal speech and sincerity in his words. He turned his scowl upon his wife, who also seemed to be surprised but more by the man's posture than his words, "Fine, what are you doing here? Surely you must know that you're not welcome on this Planet, let alone this city,"

"Again, I ask for your forgiveness," he uttered, "I was just wished back – I don't know by whom – but I was unaware of my location…"

"He was going to leave his daughter with us," Bulma said, the words causing Vegeta's scowl to slip as incredulity set in, his eyes falling upon the bundle in her arms.

"The child was the reason I was wished back," Broly elaborated, "apparently her mother does not wish to perform her duties and has brought me back for this purpose…"

"W…when…" pausing to gather himself, Vegeta asked a question, Broly was sure he was going to be asked quite often by his adversaries, "You've been dead – when did you have time to sire offspring…?" The younger Saiyan felt his face flush and he hesitated to answer; after all, it was not something he wanted to admit too so easily, "_Well?_"

"That's not important," Bulma cut in, pulling Vegeta's attention away as Broly visibly relaxed, "What is, is how we're going to help him," at this the two men looked at her, exclaiming their surprise in unison, "Oh come on, he has _nothing_ and we can hardly let this cute little thing go without proper care – we have so much space and more than enough spare rooms; it'll only be until he can support her himself,"

"Have you lost your _mind_?" her husband exclaimed, "He's unstable; a _monster_ – he's tried to kill us many times before! What makes you think-"

"But he's not though, is he?" she interrupted, "Unstable, I mean – just _look_ at him; he hasn't flipped out once," Vegeta stopped to think and had to concede in this matter; she was right, but something didn't sit well with him on this.

"Why?" he asked, turning to the younger man, noting his confused expression, "Why haven't you – as she put it – _'flipped out'_? After all, I _did_ threaten your life just now…" Broly genuinely seemed surprised by this question; when he had come to, he had noted no longer having a clouded mind, but did not realise the lack of rage – the intoxicating desire to destroy and revel in his power…_'Why…?'_

"I…I don't know…" he replied after some time, "All I remember feeling was confusion and that I had a clear mind; I didn't even notice the lack of destructive desire…" _'What could this mean…?'_ he wondered; had the woman wished him back like this? Did he still wield that incredible power? _'What if...'_

"All the more reason why you staying with us makes sense," Bulma said – a little too enthusiastically for Vegeta's liking, "If you stayed with us, we could help you figure out what's going on while keeping an eye on you; we can also offer support with the ba-"

"No," Vegeta said, drawing a surprised look from his wife, "I'm not letting an unpredictable monster like him stay with us – putting _our_ children in jeopardy," he elaborated, turning his attention to the Legendary Super Saiyan, "he's better off _dead_," Broly looked towards the Prince, his expression a placid mask – while a part of him was pained at the thought of not raising his child, his Prince was speaking the truth and it would be best to err on the side of caution.

"_Vegeta!_" Bulma gasped, stepping between her husband and the baby's father; her tone was pleading as she stressed his name, "You can't rob this child of her father…"

"The child won't miss anything," he replied, meeting his wife's determined gaze, "now, move aside – I won't hesitate to force you," Bulma studied her husbands expression; she understood where he was coming from – there was no telling what would happen in the long run. While she had not witnessed what Broly was capable of first hand, she had seen the aftermath and based on that, it was better to put an end to him now, while he was docile…but that was the problem. During the small amount of time she had spent with him, she could see that he was a kind and gentle young man, and if possible, she wanted to save him – to give him a chance at the life he deserves.

"I _can't_ Vegeta," her voice was a pleading whisper, causing a flash of irritation to pass across his noble brow, "look at him – he _needs_ help and we are in the best position to give it to him," she elaborated, "I _know_ he poses a danger, but what if we can find a way to make sure he never does? For all we know, he could be free of the monster he carries right now and you'd be robbing him of a second chance at a life he wasn't able to live before…" The Prince of Saiyans was silent for a long while, weighing and considering his wife's words…_why_ had he married her again? Perhaps it was this quality she was displaying now; the earnest capacity within her – despite her intelligence that would jade the World to anyone else – to see the potential in someone to be more than what they were. After all, he himself had been – what one would call – a _'monster'_ and it was she and her family who had taken him in. Perhaps it could also be the potential challenge in finding a way to control something uncontrollable, _'I highly doubt that…'_

"Damn you…" he growled through clenched teeth, his head pounding with the words he was going to utter, as both Broly and Bulma made a sound of surprise, "Fine! He's _your_ problem, but _mark_ my words," he fixed them with a withering glare, "if he shows _any_ sign of losing control…I _will not_ hesitate to kill him, regardless of his spawn's – or anyone else's – pleading,"


End file.
